Access to Higher Education

Access to Higher Education is a diploma that prepares people for study at university, and courses are delivered by colleges in England and Wales.

If you are a student looking for information about Access to Higher Education, including how to apply, please visit our dedicated website: www.accesstohe.ac.uk

If you are a member of staff at a college, please visit our dedicated pages on this website: www.qaa.ac.uk/access-to-he

Making a complaint about a university

We are not the right organisation to contact in relation to making a complaint about a university.

If you are a current or former student and want to complain about a higher education course or provider, your first step must be to work through your university or college’s own complaints procedure. You should be able to find this on their website. If not, your university or college should be able to supply it on request.

The Student Support Services team and students’ union or guild in your university or college are good places to start for advice and guidance about your issue. You can find the contact details for your students’ union or guild from its website, or (in most cases) from the National Union of Students (NUS).

If you are a member of staff with a complaint, you should follow your organisation’s grievance procedure. You could also seek advice through your trade union representative.

If you have already followed this guidance and the issue isn’t resolved, you can raise the matter with a number of organisations that deal with complaints about higher education, as follows:

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice can advise on breaches of consumer rights. Visit the Citizens Advice website.

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

The CMA has a guide to consumer rights for students. It can help you with complaints about inaccurate or out-of-date public information; failure to meet commitments set out in terms and conditions, for example, surprising changes to the course or costs; and complaint handling processes being inaccessible, unclear, or unfair. Visit the CMA website.

Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (Medr)

If your provider is on the Medr register in Wales, students and former students can complain to Medr about systematic problems about quality and standards. Visit the Medr website.

Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO)

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman offer free, independent and impartial examination of complaints about public services in Northern Ireland. Visit the NIPSO website.

Office for Students (OFS)

Students and former students can complain to OFS about systematic problems about quality and standards within their provider if it is on the OFS register in England. Visit the OfS website.

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

This is an independent organisation that considers students complaints. It can accept complaints from students, or former students, of English and Welsh providers registered with them. Complaints can be about anything a provider has done or failed to do, for example, regarding a programme of study, a service, or a final decision of the provider’s disciplinary or appeal body. The OIA website includes a useful list of the issues you can and cannot complain to them about. Visit the OIA website.

Prospects Hedd

If you are an employer or higher education provider and have questions about degree verification, or need to report a bogus institution or an instance of degree fraud, contact Hedd. Visit the Prospects Hedd website.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)

The SPSO is the final stage for complaints about universities and colleges in Scotland. Visit the SPSO website.